Process of concentrating ores.



PATENTED JAN. 29, 1907.

A. SGHWARZ. PROCESS OF GONGENTRATING ORES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 19, 1906.

INVENTOR' BY A0 J ATTORNEY WITNESSES:

'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED SOHWARZ, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO SOHWARZ ORE TREATING COMPANY, OF PH(ENIX, ARIZONA TERRITORY, A COR- PORATION OF ARIZONA TERRITORY.

PROCESS OF CCNCENTRATING ORES.

Patented Jan. 29, 1 907.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED SOHWARZ, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Processes of Concentrating Ores, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a method of concentrating ores, the object being to effect the separation and recovery of the values by the employment of what is known as rosin-oil as an adhesive agent. This oily complex hydrocarbon is a product of destructive distillation of rosin, is very viscid and has a tarry odor,'and in color varies from light yellow to dark brown. The invention contemplates the employment of this oil alone or in combination of a normally solid hydrocarbon,as parafi'unor a resinous hydrocarbon, as rosin, pitch, or asphaltum, or with fatty matters, as stearin or palmitin, or various mixtures of the above materials may be made, including rosin-oil asone of the ingredients. Additionallysulfur may be added to the oil or any of the compounds containin it.

' ,Will describe, first, the mode of procedure when using rosin-oil alone.

The ore is first pulverized and in its dry condition or mixed with water in any suitable uantity mixed with sufiicient rosin-oil to ma e a mass pasty at ordinary temperatures. The kettle in which the mixture is effected may be provided with an agitator, the action of which is continued long enough to effect and maintain thorough and intimate mixture of the ore and oil. The mixingkettle may be heated, if desired, and air, steam, or gas injected into the mass to assist in effecting the desired mixture. The injection of a gaseous fiuid gives a certainsponginess, which increases its floating power. After the'mixing operation the concentrates ma be recovered by rumiing the mass of ore am oil into a separating vessel containing water, which may be cold or heated to any desired temperature up to the boiling-point. Upon coming into contact with the water a separation takes place. The oil entraps and buoys up the metallic constituents of the ore and rises to the surface of the water ,While the tailings are liberated or washed out from the mass and settle in the bottom of the vessel, from which they may be removed or collected as desired. The rosin-oil, with the entrapped values, is float-ed or screened oif from the sur face of the bath and run to a centrifugal machine, in which is effected a separation of the concentrates from the oil in a well-known manner. The concentrates are then collected and subjected to such further treatment as may be necessary or desired. The se arating vessel. may be provided with suit-a le shelves or stirrers to maintain its contents in circulation and to bring all parts of the mixture of the oil and ore into contact with the Water.

The water by which the above separation is effected may he acidulated, if desired. Also instead of running the mass into a separate vessel cold or heated water may be in jected into the mass in the mixing vessel to effect the desired separation. It is preferable, however, to use so arate vessels, as .the operation may thereby e made continuous.

The invention may also be practiced by using a compound 0 rosin-oil and a hydrocarbon solid at normal temperatures, such as paraffin, the oil being added in any desired proportion, according to the character of the ore treated. A compound of fifty per cent. of each, by weight, is semiliquid and has been employed by me with advantage. A compound of rosin-oil and a resinous hydrocaron, such as rosin, pitch, or asphaltum, may be used. Rosin is soluble in such oil, and the compound, like that of rosinoil and parafi'm, may range from a liquid condition to one that is pasty or solid at normal temperatures, depending on the quantity of rosm-oil employed. a fatty matter, such as stearin or palmitin,

"may be used ranging from the condition of a liquid to pasty or solid at normal temperatures. I also contemplate the employment of rosin-oil in combination with any animal, mineral, or other vegetable oil which is liquid at normal temperatures, as I have found the addition of rosin-oil to a normally liquid or solid hydrocarbon or a fatty matter makes an effective agent for the separation of the values from the ores.

When using a compound containing rosin- Also compounds of rosin-oil and ing rosin-oil which is pasty or solid at normal temperatures the only variation is that which necessitates the employment of heat to liquefy and maintain thev compound in a.

liquid condition. The initial mixing with the ore may be-eiiected in a steam-jacketed vessel provided with an agitator, or the compound may be liquefied in a separate vessel and then run into the mixing vessel; When using such compound the water in the separating vessel should be heated sufficiently to maintain the compound in a liquid condition. As the compound rises to the surface, it is run to a centrifugal drum to separate the compound from the values, or the compound, with the entrapped values, may be run to a storage vessel, in which it is ke t liquefied, and then run to the centrifuga drum. A modification of this method may be practiced by allowing the compound, with the entrapped values, to return to its normal pasty or solid condition or to solidify it by.

the use of cold instead of heated water. After being collected in a suitable vesselthe solidified compound may be liquefied by heat and the values separated therefrom in a centrifugal drum. I prefer, however, to use heated water, as thereby the compound is maintained throughout in-itsliquid condition.

In my Patent No. 807,505, dated December 19, 1905, I have described and claimed a method in which is used a compound of a hydrocarbon and sulfur. I therefore contemplate the addition of sulfur to rosin-oil or any compound containing it as an ingredient in such cases as may be deemed necessary or advisable. The sulfur, preferably in powdered form, may be dissolved in any of its known solvents and a mixture thereof with the rosin-oil or any of its compounds added .to the ore, or a direct mixture without the aid of a solvent may be made. The operations of mixing with the ore, the separation of the adhesive agent, with the entrapped values, from the tailin s, and the final recovcry of the values are t e same as before described.

The method may be carried out in any suitably-arranged apparatus. The mixingkettle may be provided with a suitable agie tator and steam-jacketed, if necessary, and the separating vessel may be provided with means for running ofl the compound and for discharging the tailings, the parts of the apparatus being preferably arranged so as to enable the separation to be carried on continuously.

The accompan 'ng drawing is a'pers ective view of a p ant in which the met od herein described may be practiced.

agent.

In the drawing, 1 designates a hopper or bin for the storage of the pulverized ore, and 2 a mixing vessel provided with an agitator in which the ore is mixed with the adhesive From vessel 2 the mass is conducted to a .vessel 3 containing water,in-which the adhesive agent, with the entra ped values, is

separated from the tailings an run to a centrifugal drum 4 for the recovery of said agent, which flows to a storage-tank 5. From the latter adhesive agent is raised by a pump 6 to the initial mixing vessel 2. The tailings are discharged from the separating vessel 3 through a pipe 7. The concentrates are removed from the centrifugal drum and subjected to such further treatment as may be necessary. I

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The method of concentrating ores consisting in mixing with the pulverized ore rosin-oil, then separating said agent with its entrapped values from the tailings, and finally recovering the values from said agent.

2. The method of concentrating ores consisting in mixing with the pulverized ore rosin-oil, then treating the mass with water to separatesaid agent with its entrapped values from the tail' s, and finally recovering the values from said agent.

3. The method of concentrating ores which consists in mixing with the pulverized ore an agent to which the metallic constituents will adhere consisting of a mixture of a hydrocarbon and rosin-oil, then'separating said agent with its entrapped values from the tailings, and finally recoveringthe values from said agent.

4. The method of concentrating ores which consists in mixingwith the pulverized ore an agent-to which the metallic constituents will adhere consisting of a mixture of rosin-oil and a normally solid hydrocarbon, then separating said agent with its entrapped values from the tailings, and finally recovering the values from said agent.

5. The method of concentrating ores which consists in mixing with the pulverized ore an agent to which the metallic constituents will adhere consisting of a mixture of rosin-oil and a normally solid hydrocarbon, then treating the mass with water to separate said agent with its entrapped values from the tailings, and finally recovering the values from said agent.

6. The method of concentrating ores which consists in mixing with the pulverized ore an agent to which the metallic constituents will adhere consisting of a mixture of rosin-oil and a normally solid fatty matter, then separating said agent with its entrapped values from the tailings, and finally recovering the values from said agent.

'7. The method of concentrating ores which consists in with the pulverized orean IIO adhere consisting of a mixture of rosin-oil agent to which the metallic constituents will I mixture is solid at normal temperatures, then separating said agent with its entrapped values from the tailings, and finally recovering the values from said agent A l 9. ,The method of concentrating ores which conslsts in mixing with the pulverized ore an agent to which the metallic constituents will ,adhereconsisting of a mixture of r0sin- 0il and paraffin, then separating said agent with 20 its entrapped values from'the tailm s, and finally recovering the values from sai agent.

In Witness whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

} ALFRED. soHwARz.

Witness es:

SAMUEL M. MARCUS, OLIN A. FOSTER. 

